As Maria Giovanna Paone noted, COVID-19 screening in her home city of Naples is as stringent as everywhere in Italy. “In fact two of the big cafes have closed because some of the staff tested positive. But we are very lucky in the factory; we have had no cases, just two or three staff members have had to stay at home after the holidays after their children tested positive.” That’s good news for Kiton’s 450 Naples-based tailors and artisans, but the beautiful clothes they supply are redundant without demand, and the broader economic picture is concerning this business as much as any.
Still, Kiton cracks on. This much extended look book contained many beautiful pieces, although as in past seasons the crushingly conventional style in which they were shot—it looks like a Land’s End catalogue—did little to communicate that. On the ground a nuttily toned suit in a mix of bamboo, linen, and silk gleamed softly in the sunlight shining through from Via Fiori Chiari, but wilted wanly in the image. Double-faced cashmere silk linen jackets termed “iconic” by the brand were indeed exquisite in the hand but, again, in the images just looked bland. Shirt dresses in brushstroke printed silk satin should have jumped off the page, but instead looked in need of urgent restoration. And so it went on. Kiton consistently makes such beautiful garments that it becomes increasingly frustrating to see them so poorly presented every season.
